United Way of the Midlands President and CEO Karen Bricklemyer died Monday after being admitted to a hospital for an aortic dissection.

United Way of the Midlands President and CEO Karen Bricklemyer died Monday after being admitted to a hospital for an aortic dissection.

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Updated: 8:07 AM CDT Jul 31, 2014

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WEBVTT EVEN IN SICKNESS SHE DEDICATED HERSELF TO OTHERS. GOOD EVENING I'M MELISSA FRY. I'M ADRIAN WHITSETT. KAREN BRICKLEMYER'S CAREER WITH THE UNITED WAY HELPED THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE.. THE LOSS OF THE LEADER.. K-E-T-V NEWSWATCH 7'S CHINH DOAN IS LIVE AT THE NON- PROFIT'S HEADQUARTERS. AS PRESIDENT AND C-E-O FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS.... KAREN BRICKLEMYER'S OFFICE WAS INSIDE UNITED WAY HERE AT 18TH TO HELP OTHERS..SPECIFICALLY THOSE IN POVERTY... TOUCHED MANY LIVES ACROSS THE METRO... THROUGH THOSE PROGRAMS. AFTER A WEEK IN THE HOSPITAL WITH UNEXPECTED HEART COMPLICATIONS...UNITED WAY PRESIDENT AND C-E-O KAREN BRICKLEMYER LOST HER BATTLE THIS WEEK.SHE WAS JUST 47 YEARS OLD.(SHAWNA FORSBERG: it was such a shock to everyone here when karen first became ill)SHAWNA FORSBERG WAS RECRUITED BY BRICKLEMYER... AND REMEMBERS WHY SHE JOINED THE TEAM.(SHAWNA FORSBERG: she was generous and caring and just made people around her feel good )AND HELPING THOSE IN POVERTY WAS BRICKLEMYER'S PASSION.(KAREN BRICKLEMYER/UNIT ED WAY OF THE MIDLANDS: "when you don't have stable housing and you have a toothache, or if you're not feeling well, IN MAY... BRICKLEMYER TOLD US ABOUT A NEW INITIATIVE UNDER HER LEADERSHIP - FOCUSED ON HELPING ADULTS AND KIDS SUCCEED AT WORK AND AT SCHOOL. about the whole family and that makes a difference to the families we serve) BRICKLEMYER'S VISION AND POSITIVE INFLUENCE ARE EVIDENT ALONG THE WALLS OF THE KIDS CAN! COMMUNITY CENTER AT 48TH NONPROFIT'S FUNDING COMES FROM THE UNITED WAY...MUCH OF IT USED TO MAKE SURE KIDS ARE READY FOR KINDERGARTEN.A SMALL STEP NOW THAT WILL MAKE A LASTING IMPACT ON THE REST OF THEIR LIVES.(ROBERT PATTERSON: I think we'll see a lof of karen's work reflected for many years throughout all these children she set the stage she wanted to move the this community) BRICKLEMYER LEAVES BEHIND A HUSBAND AND TWO TWIN GIRLS. IN LIEU OF FLOWERS, THE FAMILY ASKS THAT DONATIONS GO TO AN ENDOWMENT AT UNITED WAY. BRICKLEMYER'S MEMORIAL SERVICE IS FRIDAY AT COUNTRYSIDE COMMUNITY CHURCH. REPORTING LIVE AT UNITED KETV NEWSWATCH SEVEN.

Colleagues remember United Way CEO

United Way of the Midlands President and CEO Karen Bricklemyer died Monday after being admitted to a hospital for an aortic dissection.